Posted on 08/24/2019 9:30:02 PM PDT by Salvation
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From: Isaiah 66:18-21
The nations in pilgrimage to Jerusalem
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Commentary:
66:18-24. The book ends with a colophon, part in prose (vv. 18-21), part in verse
(vv. 22-24). It begins by announcing that the glory of the Lord will be proclaimed
to the nations, and they will respond by flocking in pilgrimage to the temple of
the Lord.
Verses 18-21 are a sort of parallel to 2:2-4: both passages act as a kind of mar-
ker, one for the beginning and one for the end of the book. In other words, the
exile in Babylon will come to be seen as divine punishment inflicted on the peo-
ple for their sins, for their breaking the Covenant. There may be an oblique refe-
rence here to the expulsion of our first parents from the garden of Eden (Gen 1:
23): Israel, too, was expelled from its land and from Zion, “the house of Jacob”
(2:6). But God, in his mercy towards his people, will pardon them and have them
come back to his “holy mountain”, Jerusalem (v. 20), and his gathering will also
involve “all nations and tongues” (v. 18). This return to Zion is a sign that their
transgression is totally forgiven. In some ways, the book of Isaiah is an (imper-
fect) anticipation and account of salvation history which runs right through the
Bible, from the expulsion from Paradise (Gen 3:23), to the vision of the “heaven-
ly Jerusalem”, in the “new heavens and the new earth” (v. 22 and Rev 21:1-27),
at the centre of which will be found the “tree of life” (Rev 22:14).
Theodoret of Cyrus reads these words as an announcement of the universal salva-
tion that stems from the Incarnation, and he comments that the prophet showed
that Christ became “a slave not only to redeem the Jews but to bring salvation to
all the nations” (Commentaria in Isaiam, 66, 18). The Second Letter to the Corin-
thians attributed to St Clement of Rome also sees v. 18 as an announcement of
the Second Coming of our Lord: “I am coming to gather all nations and tongues:
this verse prophesies the last day, when Christ will come again to reward each
man according to his deeds” (Pseudo-Clement, Epistula II and Corinthios, 17,
4).
The nations mentioned in v. 19 are not easy to identify; but Tarshish is probably
Spain; Put, Libya; Lud, Lydia; Tubal, Cilicia; and Javan, Ionia, Greece.
“And some of them also I will take for priests” (v. 21): this may mean (though one
cannot be sure) that God will choose priests and Levites from among the pagans.
Given the tenor of v. 22, it is more likely that “descendants” of Israel will hold the
office of the holy priesthood; either interpretation fits in with the general newness
and universalism that are a feature of chapters 65 and 66 (cf. 61:6).
The last oracle in the book of Isaiah is a call to an active, living hope (vv. 22-24).
Verse 23, in its initial historical context, was addressed to the chosen people of
the Old Testament, but it opens out to include all mankind; that is how the Fa-
thers interpreted it. “There will be a new heaven and a new earth, where man will
live forever united with God. Isaiah tells us that this new life will last forever: For
as the new heavens and the new earth which I shall make shall remain before
me, says the Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain (Is 66:22)”
(St Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus haereses, 5, 36, 1).
Even so, a warning is issued about the punishment that awaits evildoers (v. 24).
The harshness of the language here is in sharp contrast to the general tone of
hope. The prophet may have chosen to strike this dark note in order to have the
inhabitants of Zion (the saved) recognize God’s sovereignty over those who re-
ject him and have them appreciate the blessings bestowed in Zion, that is, in
heaven. Jesus uses the metaphor of the worm that does not die to describe the
punishment earned by the grave sin of scandal (cf. Mk 9:48).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Perseverance in Affliction
[11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Striving for Peace; Purity; Reverent Worship
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Commentary:
4-13. Following Christ’s example, Christians should struggle to avoid sin; they
should put up with tribulation and persecution because if such adversity arises
it means that the Lord permits it for our good. The letter’s tone of encourage-
ment seems to change here to one of reproach. It is as if the writer were saying,
“Christ gave his life for your sins, contending even to the point of dying for you;
how is it that you do not put up with suffering, out of love for him? It is true that
you are being persecuted: God is disciplining you as a Father disciplines his
children. But you are children of God and therefore your attitude should be one
of abandonment to his will even when it seems hard. That is the way a Father
brings up his children.”
The main point is that the only important thing is fidelity to God, and that the sin
of apostasy is the greatest of all misfortunes. “Don’t forget, my son, that for you
on earth there is but one evil, which you must fear and avoid with the grace of
God: sin” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 386).
5-11. Suffering, the sacred writer teaches, is a sign of God’s paternal love for us;
it proves that we really are his children.
This teaching is supported by the quotation from Proverbs 3: 12, taken from a
long discourse in which a father exhorts his son to acquire true wisdom. In the
present passage the father is identified with God and we with the sons whom he
is addressing.
By being incorporated into Christ through Baptism a person becomes a child of
God: this is the very basis of the Christian life and it should be a source of sere-
nity and peace in every difficulty we meet in the course of life. The term “disci-
pline” which appears so much in this passage does not convey the full richness
of the original Greek word, “paideia”, which has to do with the educational up-
bringing of child by parent, of pupil by teacher, and also the punishment meted
out in this context. Here the focus is largely on the second aspect. However, it
should be remembered that in ancient times education and instruction always
involved the idea of punishment. God, therefore, should not be seen as a cruel
or pitiless father, but as a good father who brings up his children in an affectio-
nate yet firm way. Adversity and suffering are a sign that this divine teaching me-
thod is at work: God uses them to educate us and discipline us. “You suffer in
this present life, which is a dream, a short dream. Rejoice, because your Father-
God loves you so much, and if you put no obstacles in his way, after this bad
dream he will give you a good awakening” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 692). If we
were illegitimate children he would not bother to educate us; but because we are
true sons he disciplines us, to make us worthy of bearing his name. “Everything
that comes to us from God,” an ancient ecclesiastical writer reminds us, “and
that we initially see as beneficial or disadvantageous, is sent to us by a father
who is full of tenderness and by the wisest of physicians, with our good in mind”
(Cassian, “Collationes”, VII, 28).
When the soul has this kind of attitude, that is, when the trials the Lords sends
are willingly accepted, “with peaceful fruit of righteousness” and it yields fruit of
holiness which fills it with peace: “Jesus prays in the garden: “Pater mi” (Mt
26:39), “Abba, Pater!” (Mk 14:36). God is my Father, even though he may send
me suffering. He loves me tenderly, even while wounding me. Jesus suffers, to
fulfill the Will of the Father.... And I, who also wish to fulfill the most holy Will of
God, following in the footsteps of the Master, can I complain if I too meet suffe-
ring as my traveling companion?
“It will be a sure sign of my sonship, because God is treating me as he treated
his own divine Son. Then I, as he did, will be able to groan and weep alone in my
Gethsemani; but, as I lie prostrate on the ground, acknowledging my nothingness,
there will rise up to the Lord a cry from the depths of my soul: “Pater mi, Abba,
Pater,... fiat!” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way of the Cross”, I, 1).
12-13. This exhortation follows logically from the previous one. It seems to evoke
the world of athletic competition referred to at the beginning of the chapter. Verse
12 is like a shout of encouragement to a runner who is beginning to flag in the
middle of a race.
The author uses a quotation from Isaiah (Is 35:3) in which drooping hands and
weak knees indicate moral decline (cf. 2 Sam 2:7; 4:1; Jer 47:3). He then goes
on to use words from Proverbs 4:26 to encourage right living: “make straight
steps with your feet”: if the Christian perseveres in his efforts even if he is some-
what “lame”, that is, even if he is someone whose faith is weak and is in danger
of apostasy, he will be able to return to fitness in spite of everything.
However, this exhortation can be taken as addressed not only to those who need
to mend their ways but also to Christians in general, who should be exemplary
and never in any way be a stumbling-block to their weaker brethren.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 13:22-30
The Narrow Gate
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Commentary:
23-24. Everyone is called to form part of the Kingdom of God, for he “desires all
men to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4). “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not
know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with
a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they
know it through the dictates of their conscience: those too may achieve eternal
salvation. Nor shall divine providence deny the assistance necessary for salva-
tion to those who, without any fault of theirs, have not yet arrived at an explicit
knowledge of God, and who, not without grace, strive to lead a good life. What-
ever good or truth is found among them is considered by the Church to be a pre-
paration for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may
at length have life” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 16).
Certainly, only those who make a serious effort can reach the goal of salvation
(cf. Lk 16:16; Mt 11:12). Our Lord tells us so by using the simile of the narrow
gate. “A Christian’s struggle must be unceasing, for interior life consists in begin-
ning and beginning again. This prevents us from proudly thinking that we are per-
fect already. It is inevitable that we should meet difficulties on our way. If we did
not come up against obstacles, we would not be creatures of flesh and blood.
We will always have passions that pull us downwards; we will always have to
defend ourselves against more or less self-defeating urges” (St. J. Escriva,
“Christ Is Passing By”, 75).
25-28. As at other times, Jesus describes eternal life by using the example of a
banquet (cf., e.g., Lk 12:35ff; 14:15). Knowing the Lord and listening to his prea-
ching is not enough for getting to heaven; what God judges is how we respond
to the grace he gives us: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”
(Mt 7:21).
29-30. Generally speaking, the Jewish people regarded themselves as the sole
beneficiaries of the messianic promises made by the prophets; but Jesus pro-
claims that salvation is open to everyone. The only condition he lays down is that
men freely respond to God’s merciful call. When Christ died on the cross the veil
of the temple was torn in two (Lk 23:45 and par.), a sign of the end of the distinc-
tion between Jews and Gentiles. St Paul teaches: “For he [Christ] is our peace,
who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall [...] that he
might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and
might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing
the hostility to an end” (Eph 2:14-16). Therefore, “all men are called to belong to
the new people of God. This people therefore, whilst remaining one and only one,
is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the de-
sign of God’s will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning
and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally ga-
thered together as one” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 13).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading | Isaiah 66:18-21 © |
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They will bring all your brothers from all the nations |
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Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 116(117) © |
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Second reading |
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Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13 © |
The Lord trains the one he loves |
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Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:23 |
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Or: | Jn14:6 |
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Gospel | Luke 13:22-30 © |
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The last shall be first and the first last |
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Luke | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Luke 13 |
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22. | And he went through the cities and towns teaching, and making his journey to Jerusalem. | Et ibat per civitates et castella, docens, et iter faciens in Jerusalem. | και διεπορευετο κατα πολεις και κωμας διδασκων και πορειαν ποιουμενος εις ιερουσαλημ |
23. | And a certain man said to him: Lord, are they few that are saved? But he said to them: | Ait autem illi quidam : Domine, si pauci sunt, qui salvantur ? Ipse autem dixit ad illos : | ειπεν δε τις αυτω κυριε ει ολιγοι οι σωζομενοι ο δε ειπεν προς αυτους |
24. | Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. | Contendite intrare per angustam portam : quia multi, dico vobis, quærent intrare, et non poterunt. | αγωνιζεσθε εισελθειν δια της στενης πυλης οτι πολλοι λεγω υμιν ζητησουσιν εισελθειν και ουκ ισχυσουσιν |
25. | But when the master of the house shall be gone in, and shall shut the door, you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying: Lord, open to us. And he answering, shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are. | Cum autem intraverit paterfamilias, et clauserit ostium, incipietis foris stare, et pulsare ostium, dicentes : Domine, aperi nobis : et respondens dicet vobis : Nescio vos unde sitis : | αφ ου αν εγερθη ο οικοδεσποτης και αποκλειση την θυραν και αρξησθε εξω εσταναι και κρουειν την θυραν λεγοντες κυριε κυριε ανοιξον ημιν και αποκριθεις ερει υμιν ουκ οιδα υμας ποθεν εστε |
26. | Then you shall begin to say: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. | tunc incipietis dicere : Manducavimus coram te, et bibimus, et in plateis nostris docuisti. | τοτε αρξεσθε λεγειν εφαγομεν ενωπιον σου και επιομεν και εν ταις πλατειαις ημων εδιδαξας |
27. | And he shall say to you: I know you not, whence you are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. | Et dicet vobis : Nescio vos unde sitis : discedite a me omnes operarii iniquitatis. | και ερει λεγω υμιν ουκ οιδα υμας ποθεν εστε αποστητε απ εμου παντες οι εργαται της αδικιας |
28. | There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. | Ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium : cum videritis Abraham, et Isaac, et Jacob, et omnes prophetas in regno Dei, vos autem expelli foras. | εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων οταν οψησθε αβρααμ και ισαακ και ιακωβ και παντας τους προφητας εν τη βασιλεια του θεου υμας δε εκβαλλομενους εξω |
29. | And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. | Et venient ab oriente, et occidente, et aquilone, et austro, et accumbent in regno Dei. | και ηξουσιν απο ανατολων και δυσμων και βορρα και νοτου και ανακλιθησονται εν τη βασιλεια του θεου |
30. | And behold, they are last that shall be first; and they are first that shall be last. | Et ecce sunt novissimi qui erunt primi, et sunt primi qui erunt novissimi. | και ιδου εισιν εσχατοι οι εσονται πρωτοι και εισιν πρωτοι οι εσονται εσχατοι |
Pray for Pope Francis.
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We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]
St. Michael the Archangel
~ PRAYER ~
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.
This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 |
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Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart |
Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
St. John Eudes
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